Laundry extractor



Au@ 12, 1969 F. w. GRANTHAM 3,460,363

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3,460,363 LAUNDRY EXTRACTUR Frederick W. Grantham, Hollywood, Calif. (152 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90015) Filed Mar. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 531,712 Int. Cl. Df 3/00; B30b 9/06, 5/04 U.S. Cl. 68-241 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a laundry extractor.

The laundry extractor to which the present invention is particularly adaptable is of the type having a casing with a top element and a surrounding wall with an open bottom; a plunger is disposed below the casing and moves upwardly into the casing for compressing laundry pieces therein and thereby extracting the water therefrom; upon completion of the latter step, the plunger is retracted, and the casing opened to the side for removal of the laundry pieces from the casing, which are then in the form of a compacted cake.

A broad object of the present invention is to provide a novel construction of laundry extractor of the foregoing general character.

Another object is to provide a laundry extractor of the foregoing general character having a novel construction of casing in which the laundry pieces are compressed for extracting the water therefrom.

A more specific object is to provide in such a laundry extractor, a casing having an inner continuous or effectively solid wall element and a plurality of surrounding anges or fins thereon, the anges providing extreme strength for a minimum of mass or weight, while also providing novel and effective hinges for the door panels incorporated in the casing, as well as to provide novel and eifective buckle means.

A further object is to provide in a laundry extractor of the foregoing general character, a novel arrangement for enabling outflow of Water extracted from the laundry pieces while minimizing the tendency of laundry pieces to be forced into openings designed for the outflow of water.

Still another object is to provide a laundry extractor of the foregoing general character having a novel construction of casing which includes yielding and resilient means interposed between the laundry pieces and the inner surface of the casing, whereby to accommodate unevenness in pressure in different portions of the mass of laundry pieces being compressed, such unevenness being a factor in all extracting operations.

An additional object is to provide a laundry extractor and method of use thereof providing for movement of laundry pieces through the extractor in a single direction, resulting in greater efficiency in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the laundry extractor, showing a cart with a load of laundry pieces to be extracted;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of the extractor with the casing open, and the cake formed from the compacted laundry pieces released therefrom and lying on a table cart;

3,469,363 Patented Aug. I2, 1969 FIGURE 3 is a vertical axial sectional view of the extractor as viewed in FIGURE 1, with a load of wet laundry pieces in position, and the plunger in lowered position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, but with the plunger raised `and a cake formed from the laundry pieces after the extracting operation;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal view of the casing, taken at line 5-5 of FIGURE 3 and showing the door panels of the casing in closed position, and also showing the hinges and the buckle, and additionally showing the open position of the door panels in dot-dash lines;

FIGURE 6 is a detail sectional view taken at line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of the casing in .closed position, and certain adjacent elements;

FIGURE 8 is an axial sectional view of a casing including a modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 9 is a View similar to FIGURE 8 but showing a cake formed in the casing and also showing the resilient cushion in relatively flattened, or compressed, condition;

FIGURE 10 is an axial sectional view of a casing including an additional modification of the invention; and

FIGURE 11 is a small scale view of a novel arrangement for moving the laundry pieces through the extractor in a single direction.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, attention is directed first to FIGURES 1 and 2 showing the extractor in perspective view. The extractor indicated in its entirety at 12 includes a pair of side posts or standards 14 and a head 16. A casing indicated in its entirety at 18 is incorporated in or supported from the head 16 and includes a surrounding side wall 20 defining an open bottom and closed at the top by a perforated plate 22 in the head. The detail construction of this casing will be described hereinbelow.

The casing 18 is disposed above the oor for the reception therebelow of a cart 24 (FIGURE 1) having an open bottom tub or tank 26 containing a load of wet laundry pieces 28 (FIGURE 3) from which the water is to be extracted.

A plunger or piston 30 is mounted in the door and incorporated in a suitable power arrangement of known kind, such as a hydraulic ram, and in retracted position its upper end is not appreciably above the surface of the floor. The plunger is extendable and moves through the tank 26 and carries the load of wet laundry pieces upwardly into the casing 18 and compresses them against the top element or perforated plate 22 for extracting the water therefrom.

The load of wet laundry may be supported in the tank in a suitable manner, such as on a perforated false bottom or plate 32 normally supported on an inturned rim or bead 34 in the tank, and lifted therefrom by the plunger.

Upon completion of the extracting operation, a cake 36 (FIGURES 2 and 4) is formed of the compressed laundry pieces, which becomes relatively rigid and hard and remains in place in the casing by friction upon lowering of the plunger, which is then done, enabling the cart 24 to be removed.

After this step a table cart 38 (FIGURE 2) is moved into place under the casing, and the casing opened to the side and the cake 36 released from the casing, which drops onto the table cart. The latter is then rolled out and the cycle is repeated.

Suitable means may be provided on the lloor for registering the cart 24 for aligning it with the casing and the plunger, and this same means may be utilized for registering the table cart 38, if desired. The foregoing manner of extracting and removing the extracted laundry, in general,

is known. Most commonly, the casing is disposed in an elevated position and the plunger raised from below, but the reverse order is also operable, i.e., with the casing in lower position, and the plunger lowered from above, and the present invention is applicable to the latter arrangement as well as to the former.

Referring particularly to the casing 13 of the invention, the side wall includes a 'back portion 40 (FIG- URE 5) preferably substantially semi-cylindrical in extent, but not more than semi-cylindrical, and front door panels -42 and 44 hingedly mounted on the back portion and movable into closed and open position. When in closed position they form with the back portion a complete cylinder. The door panels provide for opening the casing for removing the compacted cake as referred to above.

The side wall includes an inner wall element 46 of continuons or non-perforate construction, as of sheet steel and preferably stainless steel. The side wall also includes outer flanges or ns 48 secured rigidly to the inner wall element 46 as by welding. The flanges 4S include elements 48a in the rear Wall portion, 485 in the door panel 42 and 48e in the door panel 44. The flanges are of large radial dimension relative to the wall element 46 and in the neighborhood of 3 to 4 times their own thickness. Additionally they are spaced apart a distance preferably greater than their thickness.

The casing is mounted on the structure of the head 16 in any suitable manner, such as by a plurality of pins or bolts 50 (FIGURES 5 and 6), in this case three, secured directly in the head 16 and extending downwardly. Suitable holder means 52 are provided, and if desired, spacers 54 may be utilized, surrounding the pins and positioned between the flanges. However, the flanges are of relatively great strength and the spacers are considered not necessary for securing the ilanges against deflection in vertical directions.

The two pins 50 at the sides (FIGURE 5) also serve as hinge means for mounting the door panels 42 and 44 on the rear portion 46 of the side wall. In this case the ilanges 48b and 48C on the door panels intermesh with the flanges 48a on the rear portion, and the corresponding pins 59 extend through openings in the latter anges as well. Spacers 56 are utilized in this case as well for locating the door panels so that the flanges thereon are disposed in predetermined positions for mounting and operation of the buckle means 58 for locking the door panels in closed position.

A pin '60 is positioned at the swinging end of the door panel 42, preferably extending the full vertical height thereof and extending through openings in the anges and secured in position as by welding. The flanges 48b are provided with notches 62 circumferentially inwardly from the pin 60 and closely adjacent thereto. The pin also may be secured in place as by welding.

Mounted on the door panel 44 is a buckle member 64 made up of a plurality of leaves 66 in construction similar to the flanges 4S. This buckle member is pivotally mounted on the door panel 44 by means of a pin 68 tted in openings inthe flanges 48e and in openings in the aligned leaves 66, the latter being intermeshed with the flanges 48e. The pin may be welded to the ilanges 48e while the leaves 66 are of course swingably mounted on the pin. Spacers '70 are utilized for positioning the leaves 66 relative to the flanges 48C.

At the outer swinging end of the buckle member 64 is another piu '72 extending through the leaves 66, and welded thereto or left free for rotating as desired, and if left free, secured in position by suitable means such as cotter pins. A piece "76 interconnects the leaves 66 at the outer swinging end of the buckle member 64. A lever 78 is pivoted on the pin 72, as at the bottom, which serves as a handle for manual manipulation of the buckle member by the operator of the extractor, and has an inner end 80 extending beyond the pin 72. In the buckling or locking operation, the operator moves the door panels 42 and 44 to closed position, the buckling member 64 at this time being in open position, and then swings the buckling member toward closed position and in the same movement, or as a continuation of the same movement, engages the inner end Si) of the lever 78 against the pin 6'@ and continues the swinging movement of the lever, utilizing the pin 60 as a fulcrum until the buckling member 64 is in its fully closed position in which the piece 7 6 thereof falls into the notches 62. In this position of the buckling member, a line through the pins 68 and 72, as at 82, falls inwardly beyond the pin 60. The buckle means is thus in over center position positively locking the door panels in closed position. The various proportions and elements of the buckling means may be varied from the details thus described, so long as the over center condition is produced; for example the pin 60 may be positioned radially outwardly as in ears on the flanges and in this case the notches 62 may be omitted.

It will be understood that the unbuckling or unlocking operation is performed by the reverse order of the movements described above, the inner end of the lever working against the door panel until the swinging end of the buckle member is thrown outwardly beyond dead center position. If desired handle means as indicated at 84 may be provided on one or both of the door panels for facilitating their movement by the operator.

The perforated plate 22, forming the top element of the casing is provided with the desired number of perforations 86 (FIGURE 6) throughout its area for enabling outflow of water from the laundry pieces, the water then flowing from the head of the extractor through suitable openings or passages S8 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 6) of suitable number, size and location. The perforated false bottom 32 enables much of the water to run therethrough from the casing. It is desired that the side wall of the casing not be utilized for the outilow of water. Also it is desired that the lit between the side wall of the casing and the top plate 22, as well as between the side wall and the plunger, be' relatively tight and while a limited outllow of water is accommodated at these points, it is desired that any space here be of very small dimensions to prevent possible expulsion of laundry pieces therethrough. Additionally, as shown in FIGURE 5, the parts of the inner wall element 46 as between the door panels and the rear portion 40 and as between the door panels themselves, abut each other in tight engagement, preventing the expulsion of laundry pieces therebetween. Similarly, as shown in FIGURE 4, the plate 32 substantially, or nearly, engages the inner wall element, virtually Without space therebetween.

The ilanges 48 provide several advantages in the extractor. They provide extreme strength, while being of minimum lightness. Their radial dimension is substantial for providing the strength referred to, while substantial space may be provided between adjacent llanges, without bulging or distortion of the inner wall element 46. The llanges also provide effective means for forming hinges between the door panels and the rear wall portion 40, these hinges being of great strength, and proportionately of much greater strength than could be provided in hinges in a solid side wall, unless such hinges were to be of abnormally great size and massiveness. Additionally, the llanges produce an unusually effective arrangement for providing buckle means for buckling or locking the door panels in closed position. The buckle member 64 itself is made up of leaves similar to the ilanges and are intermeshed with the ilanges both in the door panel 44 on which it is mounted and in the opposite door panel 42. Not only is this an effective arrangement for such buckle means, but an unusually strong buckle means is provided. A still further advantage of the llanged casing is an unusually pleasant appearance thereof. In this connection not only do the ilanges themselves add to the pleasant appearance, but the hinges between the door panels and the rear portion are inconspicuous and kept within the radial contines of the flanges and thus comparable to concealed hinges; the buckle means itself is also relatively inconspicuous since the buckle member 64 is intermeshed with the flanges on the door panels, and it closes into a position not materially beyond the radially outer surface of the flanges on the door panels.

Still another advantage of the flange arrangement is that the inner wall element 46 can be conveniently incorporated in the casing It is desired that this wall element, as the liner of the casing, be of stainless steel because of the close contact of the laundry pieces therewith. The side wall of the casing includes only the inner wall element of stainless steel, and the flanges, and the operation of constructing such a side wall, i.e., of mounting the flanges on the inner wall element or liner, is relatively easily done as compared with previously known cases in which the side wall is of only one element in thickness.

Attention is next directed to FIGURES 8 and 9 showing a modification of the invention. As is well known, intense pressures are encountered in laundry extractors of this general type. For example pressures in the neighborhood of 800 lbs/sq. in. may be exerted by the plunger on the laundry pieces, due to column effect. In a practical laundering operation, the wet laundry pieces are thrown into the tub or tank 26 in a random condition, i.e., they are not prearranged to render them even throughout the transverse area of the tank, and as a consequence there are relatively thick and thin' portions, in vertical direction, at different positions in the tank. When the plunger compresses the laundry pieces, the thick portions may be overcompressed while the thin portions may be insufliciently compressed, resulting in relatively ineflcient extracting operation.

A resilient toroid member 90, or doughnut is interposed between the laundry pieces and the top plate 22. This member 90 may be secured in position by suitable means, such as securing elements 92 having heads embedded in the material of the member 90 and extending into and secured in the head 16.

The resilient member 90 may be of any desired material providing the necessary resilience. One such material may be rubber, known on the market as drophammer rubber. This rubber is solid and relatively hard but will spread to a great extent under the pressures encountered. Other materials may be used, including a hollow casing lled with a liquid such as water. The dimensions of the member 90, i.e., the diameter of the cross section of the ring making it up, is pre-selected to provide the desired spreading or yielding to the position indicated in FIGURE 9 where in the maximum position of its spreading, a central space of substantial diameter remains, enabling communication with the apertures of the top plate 22 to permit outflow of water therethrough. Preferably the member 90 is dimensioned for engaging the surrounding side wall element 46 of the casing, in its normal condition, spreading inwardly, and serving as an additional means for preventing the possible expulsion of laundry pieces between the element 46 and the top plate.

The modification of the invention shown in FIGURE l0 includes a liner 94 of resilient material, such as rubber, mounted on or secured to the inner surface of the side wall element 46. This liner yields according to the unevenness of the batch of laundry pieces in the casing, producing substantially even pressure on all parts of the batch regardless of the variation in thickness, vertically, in the different portions of the batch.

The arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 11 enables the laundry pieces to be moved ythrough the extractor in a single direction. In this case the extractor 12 may be similar to that described above with a passage 96 extending therethrough, between the posts 14. The carts 24 are moved from left to right, for example, as indicated by the arrow 98, and in this assumed direction of movement, the extractor is oriented as viewed from the left of FIGURE 1, with the `door panels 42 and 44 to the right. A cart 24 is shown at position #l with wet laundry pieces; it is moved to position #2 for the extraction operation; after the extraction operation, it is moved to position #3, through the opposite side of the extractor. In the latter position, the door panels 42, 44 are opened and the cake 36 removed from the casing and deposited on the cart.

Preferably, the tub or tank 26 is of smaller internal diameter than the casing 18, forming a cake of larger diameter than the tub, which will rest on the top edge of the tub without falling into it.

If desired, however, a board may be utilized and placed on the tub for supporting a cake of any practical size.

This arrangement produces a bridge eect, resulting in greater efficiency by eliminating the reverse movement of the carts and consequent delay. Efliciency also results from the use of only one kind of cart instead of two. The broad concept of placing the compressed laundry pieces on the same cart used for the wet pieces is applicable whether the cart is moved through the apparatus in one direction, or withdrawn in the opposite direction from the same side in which it was moved into the extraction position.

While I have disclosed herein certain preferred forms of the invention it will be understood that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A laundry extractor comprising a stand, a casing supported on the stand and having a closed top and an open bottom, the easing including a surrounding side wall having door panels which open radially for exposing the interior of the casing, and a plunger below the casing and movable upwardly thereinto for compressing laundry pieces therein, said casing side wall including an inner wall element and a plurality of outer axially spaced circumferential flanges, said casing side Wall also including a fixed rear portion and a pair of front `door panels, the flanges including segments on each the rear fixed portion and the door panels, the door panels being hingedly mounted on the rear fixed panels, and the flange sections on the door panels and the rear fixed section being intermeshed in a hinged arrangement, pins extending through openings in the intermeshed flange elements on the rear fixed portion and the door panels whereby to form hinges for hingedly mounting the door panels on the rear fixed portion, buckle means for locking the door panels in closed position, said buckle means including a member swingably mounted on the swinging end of one of the door panels, said swingable member including `a plurality of leaves similar to the flanges, intermeshed at one end with the flange elements on a first one of the door panels, the second of the door panels having a pin mounted in and through the flange elements thereon at the swinging end of that door panel, a pin extending through openings in the swinging ends of the leaves, a lever pivoted on the last pin and having an outer handle portion for manual grasping and an inner end, the inner end of the lever being engageable with the pin in the second door panel and the latter thereby serving as a fulcrum for the lever member whereby to swing the buckle member into an over center position relative to said three pins, said leaves of the buckle member at their swinging end being intermeshed with the flange elements on said second door panel when the buckle means is in locking position.

2. A laundry extractor comprising a stand, and a casing supported on the stand having a closed end and an open end, the casing including a surrounding wall having door panels which open radially for exposing the exterior of the casing, and a plunger movable thereinto for cornpressing laundry pieces therein, and resilient means in the casing forming a cushion between laundry pieces being compressed in the casing and the inner surface of the casing, said cushion including a cylindrical liner applied to the inner cylindrical surface of said side wall, and the top plate being substantially free and open throughout the area defined substantially by the diameter of the inner surface of the liner when the latter is in normal position.

3. A laundry extractor comprising a stand, and a casing supported on the stand having a closed end and lan open end, the casing including a surrounding Wall having door panels which open radially for exposing the exterior of the casing, and a plunger movable thereinto for compressing laundry pieces therein, and resilient means in the casing forming a cushion between laundry pieces being compressed in the casing and the inner surface of the casing, and having substantial dimension in each of `mutually transverse cross-sectional directions and thereby being capable of having portions of its mass amorphously shifted, in response to pressure by the laundry pieces, to substantially change the volumetric shape of the space in the casing.

4. The invention set out in claim 3 wherein said cushion is in the shape of a toroid.

5. The invention set out in claim 4 wherein the cushion is positioned at the end of the casing opposite the entry end of the plunger, is capable of being spread radially, and is of such outer dimensions that, when in normal position, it substantially engages the inner surface of said surrounding side wall, and is of such mass that when it is fully compressed it spreads radially inwardly to a maximum extent such as to leave a center of substantial diameter.

6. The combination of a laundry extractor in conjunction with a cart, the laundry extractor comprising a stand with a transverse passage therethrough, and including an open-bottom casing above the passage, the stand being adapted for movement of the cart through the passage into a position under the casing, and then in the same direction from said position to beyond the stand, the cart having an open-ended tub, the extractor also including a plunger movable through the tub and thereby operable for moving laundry pieces from the tub into the casing and compressing them there for extracting water therefrom, the tub being of smaller diameter than the casing whereby the compacted cake formed ofthe laundry pieces, upon removal downwardly from the casing and placed on the tub, can be supported by the upper end of the tub.

7. A laundry extractor comprising a stand, a casing supported on the stand and having a closed top and an open bottom, the casing including a perforated top plate and a surrounding side wall having door panels which open radially for exposing the interior of the casing, and a plunger below the casing and movable upwardly thereinto, said casing side wall including a fixed portion and said door panels and including an inner imperforate wall element engaging the perforated top plate with a tight t substantially without space therebetween, the casing side wall also including a plurality of outer axially spaced circumferential flanges the inner wall element and flanges both extending throughout the fixed portion and door panels, and buckle means for locking the door panels in closed position, including leaves similar to said flanges and intermeshed with the flanges on both door panels, the casing also including a perforated bottom plate engageable by the plunger and itself engaging the laundry pieces and imparting pressure to the laundry pieces in response to the upward movement of the plunger, the plunger acting through the bottom plate for compressing the laundry pieces in the casing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 135,514 2/1873 Boomer 100-127 X 2,443,781 6/ 1948 Zacher 10U-247 X 2,576,776 11/1951 Cavagnaro et al 68-241 2,667,056 1/1954 Strike 68-241 2,701,461 2/ 1955 Weingart 68-241 2,711,642 6/ 1955 Meyer 68-241 3,052,113 9/ 1962 Zimarik 68-242 PETER FELDMAN, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 10G- 127, 212, 247 

